This is not the worst movie ever made, contrary to popular belief. It's honestly pretty entertaining.

I knew I would like this film, but I was very pleasantly surprised at how amazing I found it. As a hold-out and a bit of a cranky git, I confess I am one of those who find the 3D experience an annoyance. Maybe if they someday come up with a contraption-free (no glasses) way to see it, I might like it. My cinema only had it in 3D. Drat.

However, the 3D annoying gimmick aside- I was thrilled by the lush beauty of this movie. I was also gratified by the depth and meaningful quality of the story. Recounting the plot here would not accomplish anything, so I'll skip it. Let us say that if the outcomes of all the plot points were probably predictable, that's OK--- As a "comedy" that is the formula- and it was well served.

I was entranced throughout.

Emily Mortimer's solid feminine sweetness and likability came through- and Michael Cain was a hoot. And the skillful comedic actor Eddie Izzard's characterisation was also true to his particular form. The cast from the first Cars film all seemed to be here as well- to good effect.

I will note that this did not seem like a film made for small children at all. My auditorium was filled with the little guys- a cute and amiable crew, to be sure. But I cannot imagine that they would find the characters and the intricate story intelligible. And the jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery and artwork would also likely be lost on them.

I loved this movie!

I truly hated watching "Cars 2" as it is not only a sequel no one other than John Lassiter wanted but it also has a plot that manages to squeeze all the joy out of the franchise. Additionally, it does something with Mater that I didn't think was possible...it made me hate him about as much as Jar-Jar Binks! Yes, this movie is that bad.

Before I talk about the bad, I should at least point out that the CGI is incredibly well done and beautiful. Even seen a decade after it was made, the look of the movie just blew me away.

That being said, the plot is a garbage fire. Instead of making it about race cars, racing and Lightning McQueen are only a small part of the film. Instead, it's mostly a film about Mater and spy cars. Yes, I said spy cars...godawful and totally out of place spy cars. While I am sure some of the Pixar folks thought this was clever and cute, believe me, it's not. It really seems as if the script and stupidity of the plot never was a concern to anyone at the studio...and you wonder how it got made in the first place as common sense says to only use Mater in moderation and DON'T MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT SPY CARS. I did give the film a chance but found myself wanting to turn it off repeatedly because all the cleverness and joy of the first film was gone...replaced instead with spy cars. Did I mention there were spy cars?!? Ugghh!!!!!